Teyla's Memories
by TheWelcomeStranger
Summary: COMPLETE Ronon has to help her remember, because he can't forget what they have... Team, with Ronon/Teyla.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

Ronon stretched out on Teyla's soft bed, closing his eyes and relaxing into the warmth. She was sitting facing him, smiling at him. In the precious few weeks they had been together he knew she liked to just look at him. With anyone else, it may have been unsettling but the more her lovely brown eyes were turned towards him the happier he was. It had always been that way. He opened his eyes suddenly and looked at her. She tilted her head as if to ask what was wrong. His own eyes lit up and her faltering smile grew gentle again. "I nearly forgot!" he explained, and rolled off the bed to crouch and rummage in his pack.

He stood over her now, next to the bed, hands behind his back looking at her smiling up at him, curious. His eyes were crinkled with a grin as he brought his hands around his body to meet and present to her a sparkling bracelet, dark green. She gasped softly, touching her hand to her chest, enthralled. Hesitantly she reached out to touch it, marveling at its beauty, the small delicate carvings. He held it cupped out in front of her until she lifted it up and looked into his eyes, the same green colour. She wondered if he had noticed that.

He spoke. "It's a custom of your people, right? To present a token of admiration for their partner"

She nodded, studying it closely. "I have never seen stone so beautiful. Are these symbols Satedan? What do they mean?"

"One day, I might tell you." She blinked lazily at him, as if she had all the time in the world to learn his secrets. He didn't know she had a surprise for him too. But later. She was smiling up at him so he sat beside her and encircled his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. She slid it over her left wrist where it sat winking at them as she continued to admire it

It was worth it, for Ronon, the awkwardness of asking Halling what to give her, what would mean the most. It was fun, too, escaping to carve this over many nights when she would wonder where he was, because when she found him again it was worth being parted for a time. It was a challenge to hide the unfinished gift in time.

**--**

Halling knew Teyla since they were children; and that her people meant the world to her- and if this man recognized that, he was more than happy to help, explaining the meaning of the gift. She deserved such happiness.


	2. Chapter 1

**--Chapter One--**

"Teyla, Teyla, wake up."

She opened her eyes alone in a dark walled room. She sat up quickly and took in her eerie surroundings.

_Where am I?_

Swiftly she got out of bed and noticed she was only wearing a white gown.

_Where are my_ _people?_

There must be a Ring. She made her way silently along the widest corridors, barely registering them in her search- for sky, for the Ring of the Ancestors.

The corridor opened into a breathtaking large room, not that she noticed that, but it held the Ring! She looked for the symbols- perhaps they were overlooking the Ring– she hunted along the balcony and spotted them.

A man in green was sleeping in his seat before them, a youngish man with short sandy hair. She inspected his face, not recognizing it. She dialed home. He woke, and would have spoken but she knocked him out. He would live.

**--Hours Earlier--**

"So Teyla took a fall, and she's been unconscious this whole time. Doc's gonna tell us the second she wakes up but he after looking her over he doesn't anticipate much of a problem, but he did remind us there's slight chance anytime you each knocked on the head you won't remember stuff. He said he hoped she'll be up in the next day but probably with a killer headache"

Dr.Weir nodded. "Let's hope so. Maybe I'll give the team a bit of time off until she's recovered."

Ronon spoke first, uncharacteristically. "Sounds good." Getting up he made straight for the infirmary and sat by her bed.

"Teyla, Teyla, wake up."


	3. Chapter 2

**--Chapter 2, The First Night--**

Ronon skidded around the corner and Carson was not far behind. They had discovered Teyla gone. He saw the Stargate had just disengaged- he ran for the symbols but the flashed out before he reached them. He made a loud frustrated noise and turned to Chuck, sprawled in his chair.

"Doc, you better get over here." The wound didn't look too bad. Carson caught up and immediately began checking Chuck. "Aye, he'll be fine, just a nasty headache when he comes to" he turned to Ronon. "Where did Teyla go?"

--

Chuck was looking a little dazed, holding an icepack to his head by resting an elbow on the conference table, next to Carson. It was the middle of the night- Dr. Weir and Rodney were looking a little dazed as well. Ronon was pacing, and the rest of the team looked uneasy.

Chuck blinked and spoke for the first time. "She went home. But" when he saw the others immediately moving off he added- "to Old Athos, you know, where you first met her?"

"Why would she go there?" Asked Rodney.

**--Old Athos--**

It was her nightmare. There was no-one.

She had come back to the settlement. The grass was flat but the place was entirely deserted- no discarded items or ruins- they were probably safe. It was not a culling.

The Ring was activating. She bolted to the cover of the trees, though she did not sense the wraith. There was no evidence of her people there, too, which momentarily relieved her. She froze.

"Teyla!! Teyla!!" A man was calling her name, drawing it out. She did not know the voice.

"Teyla!" Another, deeper voiced man barked.

"What if she moved on to… somewhere else, looking for them?" The third voice sounded skeptic. They were looking for her, they knew who she was. Yet, the shorter men carried big weapons, the tallest, with dreadlocks, a silver gun on his hip but his arms and hands free. She stayed silent.

"Carson said she must have lost her memory. Why else would she knock out Chuck and return here? Her people moved on, how many years ago? What was it, two?" The skeptical voice became louder, directed at her.

"Teyla. We know where your people are."

The dark haired man agreed,

"We don't want to hurt you, Teyla. We can tell you what you can't remember, and take you back to your people. Halling and Jinto will want to see you."

The silent, tall man's eyes were roving, roving, searching.

She couldn't remember. This was all she had. Shutting her eyes momentarily, she revealed herself.


	4. Chapter 3

**--Chapter 3, Old Athos--**

"Where are my people?" She demanded.

"It's OK, we will take you to them," the dark haired man said pacifying as she stood anticipating attack.

_Right here. We are_ _right here_, thought Ronon._ I leave you alone in the infirmary for one minute to get __Carson and you choose to wake up then._

"Rodney, go back to Atlantis and make contact with Halling, bring him back. We will follow."

"_Atlantis?" _She echoed.

"Right. Nice to have you back, Teyla." The short man named Rodney left.

"Ronon, ah, why don't you tell Teyla what's going on."

"You hit your head on a mission. I carried you through the 'Gate- uh- Ring of the Ancestors- back home- to Atlantis." The tall man explained.

"A mission… I came from _Atlantis!?"_

The tall man, Ronon, smiled at her.

"Yeah. I think we just need to get you back home" he held out his hand to her. She stared at him and his smile faltered. Hesitantly she gave him her own and the other dark haired man relaxed.

She did not. As soon as they reached the Ring, she let go. The dark haired man stood aside as he touched the Ring so she could see the symbols. "So you know where to find us."

"Who are you? You are not the ancestors."

"My name is Colonel John Sheppard." He waved his hand, indicating Ronon. "Ronon Dex. The guy you saw before is Rodney McKay. We are from a planet called Earth, that's not in your system of Stargates. Ronon is, he comes from a world called Sateda. Maybe you will remember more when we get you back to the doctor, he can help you."

She looked so confused.

The Ring activated and the first man stepped through. The tall man smiled sadly and raised his hand to the small of her back as a guide. She looked at him warily, seeing how handsome and sad he looked, and said, "I'm sorry," for a reason she couldn't quite understand. Stepping through, he was a heartbeat behind her.

Teyla was stunned by the true beauty of the City of the Ancestors she had blindly run from. It was dawning, when the City was lit in rainbows from the coloured windows. Still, even overwhelmed in awe, she held herself proudly as Dr.Weir calmly welcomed her back.

He loved her all over again, but this time with an aching sorrow.


	5. Chapter 4

**--Chapter 4--**

"Halling!" Called Teyla as she saw him. He touched her forehead with his own.

"The Lanteans told me what happened. I came at once." He replied

"Thank you. Is everyone safe? Why have you moved from Athos? Is Kanaan..?"

She asked this last question a little breathlessly.

As Halling told her gently he had married some time ago, that she had been with the Lanteans for two years, Ronon stared at her. _Kanaan?_ How far back had her memory regressed? She was with him… something like a year before the Lanteans came across her. He left the room.

--

Carson was telling Colonel Sheppard, Dr.Weir, Rodney and Ronon that settling Teyla back into her daily routine, and answering all of her questions would help her get her memory back, though thankfully her short term memory was unaffected, her long term memory having regressed four years.

"What do you mean, thankfully? She's lost her memory" Rodney argued.

Carson just looked at him. "Would you prefer to live each day wandering, confused, not knowing how or why you are somewhere, with only memories of the past? No ability to create new ones?"

Rodney crossed his arms. "Point taken." He said.

"She's lucky." Carson addressed the room again. "She should remember in time, but it could be a day, could be..." he left it open.

Dr.Weir interrupted. "I agree, she should resume her normal life and hopefully it will be familiar. Except for going offworld- Teyla can return to her people when she likes but I have put you all off active duty so you can help her out. The Wraith have been pretty quiet lately so I think we can afford to." Carson nodded.

Rodney interjected, "I'm going to go check the ancient database. Who knows, one of those things in the infirmary might be a memory recall… device." He cleared his throat and left. Carson gave the room with a tight smile and followed him out to help.

Colonel Sheppard was having a quiet word with Dr.Weir. He looked up at Ronon.

"Why don't you spar with her? You do that every day" suggested Sheppard. Ronon shook his head. "She's so wary of me." He said tiredly. "I think I might just…" he didn't finish the sentence.

"Maybe later, then. We want to show her own room to her, but, um, she won't recognize your things in it."

He swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, it'll be unfamiliar. I'll go move it now."


	6. Chapter 5

**--Chapter 5, Atlantis--**

Teyla recognized her things, touching them and looking around the room. It was arranged to her liking. It _was _hers. She turned to Halling.

"Who leads the Athosians now?" he smiled.

"You do, Teyla. I know what a hard decision it was to live apart but you never stopped being our leader. You told me it was the hardest decision you ever had to make, but a decision that gave you hopes for our people to be free of the Wraith, if you worked with these people in Atlantis."

She looked at him, then away, and nodded, unable to imagine leaving her people. Her hand reached an object she didn't know.

The sparkling green was familiar but… _strange_. This was not from Athos, and the small carvings on it were foreign to her. The stone was incredible, like nothing she had ever seen on the many worlds they traded with. Perhaps she had picked it up on her forgotten travels through the Ring? She turned to Halling-

"Do you know where I got this?"

He took it from her and turned it over in his hands, recognizing it for what it was.

"I have not seen it before." He replied, shaking his head but avoiding her eyes.

Which he hadn't. He just remembered telling Ronon what Athosians gifted their partners.

_So_, he thought. Ronon must have carved it himself- these have to be Satedan symbols. _He must love her_, _very much,_ noting the fineness of the workmanship, the detail of the carving, smoothness of the stones. He closed his eyes and passed it back to her. She held it a second longer before placing it carefully back where it was before, as if it were precious but she didn't know _why_.

He was not the one to tell her, if she could not remember her own feelings, it would not be the same. She had to remember on her own, he was sure of it.


	7. Chapter 6

**--Chapter 6--**

Ronon quickly waved the door closed to her room behind him. She had gone back to her people with Halling at their new homeworld for the evening, to learn what had become of them since she had woken without her memories. He looked around, sadness creeping back. He quickly put the flowers she loved on her bedside table- he had done it once before.

Maybe, she might remember - how angry the botanists were that first time. How she had chided him with one hand but accepted the flowers with the other, smiling cheekily. He was sure it was there somewhere. Once she had recovered… He closed his eyes and hung his head in the darkened room.

He couldn't risk her finding him here. She was due back very soon. It pained him enough that she was wary of him already, sensing his difference from the others, even if it was unconsciously.

**--**

Teyla had just got back, but Ronon was nowhere to be found, so Sheppard started to look. He thought the gym was a good place to start. Or the balcony nearby.

**--**

She looked at the little flowers that had not been there when she left, fresh and delicate white stars. She picked one up and held it to her nose, closing her eyes. A single memory flooded her, of sitting up, waking in the night. A warm body curled around hers in the dark, but not frightening. She had smelt the flowers, and a long arm had brought her back to relax against his chest.

_But who?_ Kanaan was married now, some years had passed. It was painful – someone had loved her, and here was proof- he was still around? Trying to comfort her, bring back her memories. _Had she loved him? How could she forget? Where was he now? Would she ever remember who she had become?_ Hopelessness came and a small sob escaped her. She felt so lost.

**--**

Ronon leant on his forearms against the balcony where he and Teyla had shared their first kiss. Hanging his head so his dreadlocks hid his face he felt despair well up inside him. It was unfair; she was within his reach, but unfamiliar. He looked up in time to notice the sunset, before beginning to turn away.

He did not notice Sheppard behind him, about to speak, because time had suddenly stopped. Teyla had begun to sing, somewhere above them. Then Ronon turned back and leant his forehead on the rail, bathed by the dying sun.

She was singing, above him, on her own room's balcony. He recognized the harmony and the words- an old Athosian song of loss, sorrowful and beautiful. He hummed along to it, occasionally harmonizing. Suddenly she stopped. Ronon stayed stock still, and Sheppard retreated unnoticed, eyes wet.

Teyla listened, swearing she had heard someone singing with her. It made her feel a little better.


	8. Chapter 7

**--Chapter 7--**

Teyla woke again, startled by her unfamiliar surroundings. _I am in the City of the Ancestors, this is Atlantis. _Waving her hand awkwardly over a panel a dim light filled her room as she got up to familiarize herself, sleepily touching her own things, not even looking at them until she came to a particular item. She looked down, running her hands over the unknown symbols, turning it in the half-light, and watching it twinkle back at her like the stars themselves. She slid it over her wrist and it was comfortably cool on her skin- as if that was what she was looking for, she turned to go back to bed and was soon deep in sleep.

**--**

In the morning, Teyla began to explore her room. It seemed that no-one else was awake in the City, and recalling the story of each object helped calm her. She didn't notice that she still wore the bracelet from last night.

Coming across a carved chest, she found her ceremonial robes and pulled them out to see the colours and touch the soft fabric, see that they were all there. Then she felt something hard underneath the last robe. It was a pair of Bantos rods, and in her workmanship. Reading the carvings, in her own script, she gasped.


	9. Chapter 8

**--Chapter 8, The Second Day--**

Ronon was startled. She was wearing the bracelet he had craved for her, spent hours on, thinking of her. They were sitting at the briefing table, and noticing his where his gaze was focused, was reminded of it herself. She had not had time to think about what the carvings had meant.

"This was in my room, among my things, but I do not recognize it. Can you tell me anything?"

She directed this question to John, handing her bracelet over to the one most likely to answer her questions, not taking her eyes off it. Rodney didn't quite know what to say, but tried, and Ronon, well, he seemed to avoid her.

She had wondered - after coming back through the gate he seemed different to everyone else, in the way he acted to her. Much different from when they found her. But she had _loved_ him! And it wasn't as if she wasn't attracted to him now… if only she could remember. John turned it over in his hands but it was Rodney, sitting next to him, who leant over and said -

"Hey. Aren't those Satedan symbols? We found them in the ancient database when…"

"Satedan…" Teyla repeated the familiar word, but was unable to complete the thought.

John and Rodney looked up at Ronon across the table, arms folded and staring down. Rodney had faded into silence.

"When I came here."

Ronon finished. He stood and spoke to Teyla

"Come on. I want to show you something."

His hand twitched as if to hold it out but he didn't.

She wished he had.

Teyla followed Ronon through a maze of halls, and he did not turn around to see if she was following, nor speak.

Finally he turned into an airy room with padded mats on the floor, and finally he spoke.

"The doc said doing your usual things might help you remember. We spar, every day. Your rods are still here from yesterday" he indicated a bench along the wall of the light room. He picked up his own, beside hers. She noted how beaten they were, and saw why she had carved him new ones.

"You get changed in there."

He began to spin his rods restlessly.


	10. Chapter 9

**--Chapter 9--**

She crouched in her traditional pose, and in her own clothes. He stood, swinging his rod in a circle.

She didn't remember fighting this man before, and it was a hard battle. She could not anticipate his moves fast enough, and was constantly on the defensive.

It was hurting, seeing her like this. He knew her style, countered to his own, but she did not remember his. It was to his unfair advantage. He thought she might remember, and maybe it would help if he used one of his signature moves, that always made her smile. He jumped up and brought his stick down hard, easy to block, and landed off balance, as usual, throwing his dreads back.

It was unexpected, the way he jumped high and forward and brought his stick up. A second too late, she saw the rod come crashing down. She hit the mat, hard.

Images and voices came flooding back to her. She remembered moving her people, first to Atlantis, then a new homeworld- she saw Carson telling her she had Wraith DNA, John smiling at Elizabeth over the conference table, Rodney ranting at Radek while he argued back, half English, half Czech- Ronon smiling at her, propped up on one elbow, in bed. She gasped covered her face with her hands, still on her back, and started to laugh from sheer relief. She remembered _everything_!

Ronon looked in horror at the madwoman laughing her heart out on the floor. He hadn't hit her that hard, had he? He dropped to his knees beside her and took her hands away from her face in concern, rods dropping in a clatter to the floor. Teyla looked into his eyes and finally recognized the sparkling green. She smiled a dazzling smile.

"I remember _everything_, Ronon!" He grinned back at her, years wiped from his face in an instant. "Help me up"

She grabbed her sticks from the floor and nudged his over with her foot. He picked them up, both still grinning.

Circling now, she lunged at him. Knowing his moves, knowing his body, she swiftly got the upper hand. He was too relieved to fight, too happy to beat her back. She pinned him to the wall and threw away the rods, kissing him passionately, hands around his neck. He responded by throwing his rods away and grasping her waist to pull her closer. Finally it got too much for him. Picking her up he spun them both around in circles, laughing like he hadn't for years. She gasped and laughed and held tighter to him. He hadn't stopped grinning.

She pulled away. He looked at her questioningly. "I want to show _you_ something" and held out her hand for his.


	11. Chapter 10

**--Chapter 10--**

"These are for you" she began, holding up the pair of Bantos rods carved in a warm-brown wood. "I found them in my room, and these decorative markings, in Athosian?" He nodded in understanding. "They mean strength, loyalty, bravery, speed" she explained, indicating each character. "In order to give the holder such traits." Turning them over, her voice dropped to a whisper, as if she was suddenly shy. "This sentence says "may the ancestors protect you, beloved." There was silence, as he took them gently to admire them a minute, and then he put them carefully on the bed.

Turning back, he began to speak. "The unique thing about the Satedan script is that the individual meanings of words can be put together to form a whole."

He picked up her left hand wearing the bracelet. She did not resist. "Beauty and Grace form your name. You never knew that." He held her hand gently in his left, and traced the symbols with his right, explaining them. "the gift can also mean 'for you'. Fire is 'sun,' and here is dawn. It, uh, makes the sentence" he looked her full in the face.

"Teyla, for you the sun rises"


	12. The End, Authors Notes

**--Chapter 11--**

She had tears in her eyes. Throwing her arms around his neck again she pressed herself close to him. He circled his arm around her waist and pulled her to him, bowing his head down to rest on her shoulder.

Finally pulling apart, he saw love and deep happiness in her eyes.

She looked into his eyes, and she saw love and adoration.

Laughing again in pure joy she jumped at him for another hug. Instead he swung her around to catch her in his arms like a child and began to sprint for the control room, to share her recovery with their friends.

"Ronon! I am perfectly capable of walking myself!" She protested, giggling. He kissed her forehead quickly. She did not truly mind, he couldn't contain his ecstatic energy.

**--Later--**

"I feel perfectly fine. Except for a headache, but, as Dr Beckett said, it is to be expected"

She looked at all her friends around the conference table, all smiling and glad to have her back. Ronon touched her arm gently, as if to reassure himself that she was still there. She turned and smiled gently, perfectly, back at him.

If anything, this experience had brought them closer. Ronon had realized just how much she had meant to him, and he had saved her.

**-- Authors' Notes --**

**Thankyou for reading my first chapter fic, I hope you enjoyed it! Here are some notes on the story if you are interested.**

**Disclaimer- I don't own them or profit from this.**

**Thankyou, reviewers- **Alexiel974, DramaQueen90 and bailey1ak!! Especially Alexiel974 and DramaQueen90 for the frequent reviews and bailey1ak, a Ronon/Keller shipper-did I convert you?

Alexiel974, Thankyou again for the encouragement and comments. I hope you enjoyed the ending! I like happy endings.

It is in special features somewhere (don't ask me where) Ronon sketched and sang back on Sateda. Not a side usually shown, but Teyla is an exception, of course! If I were to give her a creative skill myself, it would be dance.

I don't have a beta reader, but I think that self-correction is ok so just review me.

When she is holding the flower to her face, it triggers a memory. Apparently scent is most linked to memory. Also, I hear that hearing is the first to return after you are unconscious. That's why she hears Ronon but wakes up later.

Much as I would love to claim it as my own, "For whom the Sun rises" or "For whom the sun shines forth" was a title of Nefetari, Great Royal Wife of Pharaoh Ramses the Second. Look them up because it's a good story.

I toyed with "Most beautiful of all living things" but, it's a little too obvious for the LOTR fans out there. But did you notice the star-shaped white flowers?

I love Ronon's character, second only to Teal'c. I'm sure that underneath he is really caring.

The individual characters with meaning making a different whole when put together is what I understand of the Chinese characters- which isn't much. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I would have loved to have drawn this story out but I don't have the time .


End file.
